What's So Great About Gravity Falls?
by witchy-boy
Summary: Dipper and Mabel, twin prodigies, have always been surrounded by a strange man and his bizarre ways, but when they finally get to meet him, he's just some average Joe. He claims to be the owner of a "house of wonders" called the Mystery Shack, but Dipper's parents disapprove of this man's business. What's so special about Gravity Falls, Oregon? Is there more than meets the eye?
1. Meeting Creepy Old Men

**Chapter One: Meeting Creepy Old Men**

_Children, stay away from that man. Come away from the stranger. Don't take anything from him – you don't know where it's been._ Dipper felt his eyes wander to the piles of photo albums laying near his feet, towards a photograph of his parents and their parents; there was his mother, his father, aunts and uncles – and there was that man. He was a face Dipper just couldn't recognize. He looked old enough to be an uncle but too young to be a grandparent; Dipper's own parents acknowledged the presence of this strange man at family events by forbidding them to go near him. He was usually clad in a navy blue suit, black tie and white dress shirt with ragged black loafers, but although he dressed nicely with his grey speckled hair combed back, there were stains on his jacket and an almost foreboding aura surrounding this man. Mabel once claimed she got close enough to smell him, and that he smelled like pickles and baking soda. Dipper didn't care enough to get close to the man without getting heebie-jeebies, but that was what drew him closer and closer mentally to the man; there was something weird about him…something Dipper had to uncover.

He rose to his feet and shoved a few photo albums under the bed with the heels of his shoe; as he stood in the center of his and his twin sister's bedroom, the door flew open and a resounding shout of "Dipper!" echoed through the room. Dipper turned to acknowledge who had called his name but instead was greeted with a mouthful of sweater and long brown hair; he let out a surprised gasp and tumbled in a heap, wrapped up in a ball of sweater, hair and braces. "Dipper! Come on!" the bundle of sweater said as it stood up. Dipper opened his hazel eyes and let out a sigh as he recognized who the sweater was – the sweater brushed her hair behind her ears to reveal a female Dipper face, complete with ruddy nose and hazel eyes filled with stars. "Mabel, what have I told you about jumping on me?" He brushed off his vest and folded his arms. "You don't like it, but this time I had an excuse!" she announced proudly, placing two fists on her prepubescent hips. "Mom and Dad are letting us meet that creepy old man from last week!" she blurted, her lips moving faster than the words came out; for a while Dipper saw himself within her face, and he could see his own face twist in confusion at the phrase _creepy old man. _"Wait…do you mean…" Dipper began, and his sister finished his sentence. "The creepy old man from the park last week who kept feeding the squirrels and trapping them in bags." Mabel fumbled with the hem of her sweater excitedly, something she had done since she was old enough to wear sweaters; she had always worn oversized sweaters that matched her mood. She had an entire closet full of them – sweaters with puns, sweaters with cute pictures and ironic sayings and even sweaters with pictures of other sweaters. It was almost weird, but their parents encouraged her strange behavior.

"What are you talking about? Mom and Dad don't let us near him." Dipper stood in front of his bed again, hiding the photo albums from view, but he was too slow. Mabel had already lunged for them.

"Ooh, what's this?" she asked in a sing-song voice, flipping through the pages and examining all of Dipper's notes; Dipper felt his face go completely red, matching the spotty complexion on his naturally ruddy nose; he and his sister had slight discoloration of the skin, and unfortunately for Dipper, his was in his nose. Mabel's was in her cheeks, a much less obvious spot and it made her look like she was always blushing. Mabel lay on her stomach in the middle of the room kicking her heels above her head and scanning Dipper's notes with enthusiasm. "Oh, you were just looking at his picture, huh?" Dipper raised an eyebrow. "That's the guy we're meeting?"

"Yep! He's talking with Mom and Dad right now." As if on cue, Dipper could hear raucous conversation proceed downstairs, and he felt his stomach flip. "Why are they introducing us to him now?" he wondered aloud, and Mabel stood. "I don't know. Maybe because they were talking about getting rid of us for summer vacation," she said, stepping closer to her twin brother; her socks rubbed against the carpet, and she raised a finger to shock her brother, letting out a high-pitched giggle as he winced. "Mabel, stop it!" he laughed, shuffling his feet across the carpet as well. They continued shocking each other until they collapsed in a heap. Mabel spoke.

"Hey, Dipper."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember last week when Auntie had that picnic and that weirdo showed up? Dad kicked him out." Dipper did remember; there was a knock at the door, Dad had opened it, there was a loud fuss and then a slam as the door was slammed shut and tightly locked. Dipper also remembered feeling the need to reassure Mabel as she slumped in her chair and they both waited quietly until their father walked back into the room adjusting his tie nervously. _It was just the wind_, he lied. _Let's eat!_ Mabel had piled her plate full of food while Dipper felt unease settle in his stomach. Why didn't his parents want this man near them? Was he dangerous? Was he a convict? Was he a con man of some sort?

"Mabel, how do we know this man isn't a con man or something?" Dipper asked, rubbing his arm. Mabel stopped and looked him. "What if he isn't, and he's a really sweet guy with a ton of candy in his pockets?"

"I'm not taking candy from him. You heard what Mom said."

"Oh, bologna! Mom also says to wash your feet before putting shoes on!" Mabel laughed. "Besides, he's downstairs right now, so come on!" Mabel tugged his sleeve to pull him downstairs. Dipper complied; he felt his heartbeat move towards his throat. This was it…he was finally going to meet the old man that crashed their parties and ate all their food.


	2. Gravity Falls, Oregon

**Chapter Two: Mystery**

Dipper and Mabel descended the stairs stealthily; Mabel had pressed her back against the wall of the stairwell, humming the _Mission: Impossible_ theme under her breath and leaping around like Tom Cruise. Dipper simply walked slowly behind her and stepped on her foot once or twice. Mabel seemed to absolutely radiate energy; her braces flashed in the overhead lights and her hair was frizzy with excitement. Dipper reached up to feel his own hair under his hat only to be disappointed with its dry lifelessness. He pouted. "Dipper, look!" Mabel whispered, tugging his shorts to get him to bend down. She pressed her face between the railings so that her cheeks were puffy and Dipper bent down to peek through the bars to see three shadows in the den – his mother's, his father's and an unidentifiable silhouette. It was rather short and stocky yet well-built at the same time. It seemed, by the outline of his shirt, he was wearing that stained navy blue suit again but this time with a round, flat hat atop his head. He still had a full head of hair.

"What am I looking at, Mabel?" Dipper mumbled, looking down at his sister, but she tapped his cheek to silence him. "Sh! They're talking!" she said, bouncing with glee. And she was right; from the den and across the hall, his parents' voices echoed throughout the house.

"Oh, come on! They'll love me!" An unknown voice burst through the stillness; it was a man's voice, similar to thunder during a storm. Dipper thought it sounded like dragging a stick through gravel, but a thousand times louder. He sighed. "Stan, I don't know…what you do is –" This time the twins' father's voice rang out like a chiming bell, but was quickly interrupted by the unknown voice – Stan.

"Listen, Richard, what I do down at the shack is none of your business and you know it. I've told you countless times not to bring up work. I'm on vacation – so are those kids." Dipper winced. He was twelve years old and still he was being referred to as a kid; he was about to hit puberty! It wasn't fair! Underneath him, his older sister (older by nine seconds) pulled the collar of her sweater over her mouth to muffle her squeals. She let out a little sound like air being released from a balloon.

"The kids still have homework to do."

"Homework? On vacation? Ha!" Dipper winced again; he could tell that his great-uncle's voice was going to grate on him. He took another step down the stairs and made sure he made no sounds before firmly pressing his foot onto the floor. The adults' conversation continued.

"Dipper needs a little work experience, and I think working at the shack would be great for him. He'd make more friends and I'm sure he'd love to travel."

"He's a twelve year old boy. I think the only thing he's worried about is growing chest hair and acne."

"When I was Dipper's age, I already had a job selling vacuums. It wasn't a fun job, but working at the shack would be great for him! We have all kinds of attractions!"

"You mean hacks. They're just animal parts made of plastic glued to other animal parts." His mother's disdainful voice was paired with a sigh, and Stan's voice seemed to falter. "You don't know what goes on down at the shack." Stan's voice was grave. "Things go down in Gravity Falls. Lots of things your little brains couldn't comprehend or even begin to understand. It's almost terrifying how much you –" _Crack._ Dipper's heart froze as his great-uncle's sentence stopped, and everyone's attention was drawn to the cracking sound coming from the railing on the stairs – the railing Mabel had stuck her face through. Dipper stepped back quickly to see that her cheeks had become wedged between the railings; his heart sunk into the pit of his stomach and he could hear footsteps as the group in the den came rushing to help.

"Mabel! Dipper!" Dipper's mother's voice had risen three octaves. Dipper covered his ears instinctively to avoid the scolding. Dipper's father attempted to dislodge Mabel's face from between the bars, and the final stranger had burst out laughing. Dipper's great-uncle Stan doubled over in a loud fit of laughter, and Dipper felt the need to laugh too. This wasn't the first time Mabel had gotten stuck in something, but it was still scary nonetheless.

"My first time seeing these munchkins since their fourth birthday and they're just as clumsy!" Stan howled, slapping his knee. Dipper rushed to his father's side to grab butter and lube up Mabel's cheeks. Soon she came free with a small _pop_ and she sat on the stairs rubbing her cheeks as they turned even redder and ruddier than before. "What made you two think it was a good idea to snoop?! Why didn't you just come downstairs?!" The angry voice of their father rang out, and Dipper felt his face light up in an embarrassed blush. "I'm sorry, Dad…I didn't mean to. It was Mabel's idea," Dipper began, turning to point at his twin sister, but Mabel was too busy bouncing on her heels in front of Stan. "Is this him?" she asked, poking and prodding at every inch of her great-uncle that she could reach. Glee ignited a fiery red color in her cheeks…or maybe that was the bruises. The twins' mother stood between Stan and Mabel to keep them separated; Mabel stepped back. "Kids, this is big news for all of us. Do you remember last week, when we told you to stay away from the man feeding the squirrels?" Dipper and Mabel nodded simultaneously. Millions of questions filled Dipper's head, while Mabel's filled with ideas of bonding exercises between her and her newly-acquainted great-uncle.

Stan had straightened up and wiped a tear from his eye, adjusting the pair of thick-rimmed glasses on his bulbous nose. "Ah, these kids are precious." Dipper's mother sighed and took a step away from Stan to introduce him properly. "This is your great-uncle, kids. This is Stan." Dipper smiled and started to float in the sea of questions in his head. He finally got to meet the strange man who offered to let him hold a two-headed goat at a family picnic, who promised him oceans of oddities if he convinced his mother to let him spend summer vacation in Gravity Falls, Oregon.


	3. The Mystery Hack

**Chapter Three: The Mystery Hack**

The twins were amazed and disappointed at the same time. Well, Dipper was disappointed – Mabel was too excited to speak properly. She had gasped and jumped onto the couch where their great-uncle was sitting. Great-Uncle Stan was something to behold, yet something to be steered away from as well. He was dressed nicely in his navy blue suit, yet the greying stubble and cockeyed fez atop his head told a different story; there was a tassel wedged in the top, and a strange symbol in gold decorated the front. Mabel grabbed Dipper's arm and whispers in his ear, "He looks like a magic man!" She adjusted her black headband in her hair and bounded back up onto the couch. Great-Uncle Stan gave a wry laugh and smiled; he looked like a happy man, but Dipper saw something else in the wrinkles and slight frown on his face. "Who's this – is this my little Mabel?" he asked, reaching for Mabel's waist with one hand and grabbing her hand with the other, lifting her princess-style off the couch. She laughed and played along, a brace-filled smile painting her face. "I'm Mabel – that's little Dipper," she added, pointing to Dipper as he stood awkwardly on the rug. He was so ecstatic to finally meet someone that had been shrouded in mystery for so long, but now…there was simply nothing interesting about this man other than his hat, and that could easily be a symbol painted on by hand.

There was silence, and his father gently nudged his shoulder. "Go on. Introduce yourself." Dipper felt his feet moving towards Stan; words filled his throat, and he swallowed them down to find the right ones to introduce himself with.

"Um…hello, sir. I'm Dipper." He gave a weak smile, and there was that eerie silence again. "…uh…I'm 12 years old, and I like mysteries." Behind him, both his parents sighed, but Stan leaned in closer till they were almost touching. Dipper felt his heart thudding in his chest, and his great-uncle began mumbling under his breath. "Yes, you'll do."

"What?"

"You got much bigger than last time I saw you. That must mean…yeah, you'll do." Dipper took a few stumbling steps back towards the couch behind him. "Wait, what?" he blurted out, concerned for what was to come next. Stan reached into his inner pocket of his suit and pulled out a pamphlet. Dipper's mother let out a prolonged groan and rolled her eyes; she reached up to snatch the pamphlet out of his hand but Stan pulled it away. "God, Stan, don't give him that! He's already up late at night as it is!" Stan glared at her and pulled the pamphlet away from her grasp. "If I don't tell him about the shack, he'll just be as boring as you!" he said through gritted teeth. "He has to know." Stan held out the pamphlet and shoved it into Dipper's trembling hands; Stan's hands were rough and calloused, as if he did hard labor. Dipper took a glance down at the paper in his hand. What was so special about this pamphlet? He flipped it open and almost immediately he was greeted with a picture of a house in the center of a forest boarded up with wooden planks and a large, flashing sign that screamed Mystery Shack from the rooftop of the building. Plastered all around its sides were signs and flyers of multiple colors and sizes, yet they all said the same things – _Come Visit the Shack! Free Admission! Bring Your Friends and Family! Not for the Faint of Heart!_ Dipper pulled a face. What kind of shack was this? Dipper continued to flip through the pamphlet; on the third page adjacent to the gaudy shack picture was a full-blown picture of his great-uncle's face, and he quickly turned the page to avoid its eerie gaze. On the next page was a long block of text explaining exactly what this "Mystery Shack" was.

_Welcome to the Mystery Shack! I know you're probably asking yourself, "What's so great about this run-down house?" Well, let me tell you! Every year, during the summertime, little kids like you are released from school with nothing to do. That's why you should come down to the shack, where your imagination can run wild and your parents can pay for it! Mysterious artifacts, rare creatures and more mysteries than your little brain can handle are packed into this little Mystery Shack, so come visit today! Summer staff members are limited to three spots, but if we decide that you got the right stuff, we might have a spot for you. We have two spots filled, so sign up now!_

Underneath the block of text was a pair of pictures, one of a redheaded woman and the other of a portly Hispanic man wearing a hat that bore the same question mark symbol that was printed on the front of the pamphlet and scattered throughout its pages. Dipper laughed a little at the man's appearance – portly, round yet stocky and tall – but as his eyes wandered towards the female's face, he felt his face light up in a blush. Wow…she was beautiful. She had long red hair that was brushed behind her shoulder and tapered at her waist; her big green eyes were like jewels shining from the curved expanse of her face. She was –

"So what do you think?" Dipper gasped and dropped the pamphlet in surprise as Stan patted his shoulder. He was smiling from ear to ear, and Dipper felt his blush deepen. "It's just a shack," he stated, and Stan looked taken-aback. "Just a shack? _Just_ a shack? Kid, do you know what we have in that shack?"

"Badly-stuffed taxidermies and creaky doors? Not to mention dirty floors and peeling wallpaper?" Dipper's mother scowled, but Stan shot her a cold glare and continued. "In my shack, we have imagination as far as the eye can see!" He rose to his feet and thrust his cane into the air. "We got all kinds of weird, mythological animals!"

"They're fake."

"We got all sorts of mysterious artifacts!"

"Which look like they were done by a third-grader."

"Dang it, Rachel, have a little imagination for once! You were always a stick in the mud." Stan pouted and waved the tip of his cane in her face. "My niece is so pessimistic," he grumbled, setting his cane back onto the carpet. Dipper was looking up at his great-uncle with amazement in his eyes. "What else?" This was something he was sincerely interested in – the unknown. The paranormal. His fingers twitched with excitement, and now he could see what Mabel was so excited about.


	4. Grunkle Stan

**Chapter Four: Grunkle Stan**

Dipper grasped the paper in both hands like an excited child and leaned in. "Can we visit? Please?" he begged, flashing bright brown puppy eyes at his parents, who met his gaze with a cold, dark glare. "No."

"Please? I love mysteries!"

"No. It's not a mystery how dirty that shack gets."

"But Great-Uncle Stan –"

"No, kid. Don't call me that. It makes me sound…_old_." Stan shuddered. "I might be old, but I'm not that old…I'm still pretty hip with the kids," he laughed, thrusting one hip towards Dipper; Dipper heard a nasty _crunch_, and Stan winced. "I think I'm stuck." The twins glanced at each other, but seconds later Stan had reverted to his normal position. "Ah…that's better. Getting old isn't fun." He sighed and rubbed his back; Dipper felt numbers rush through his head as he tried to guess Stan's age – he had bad hips, so he could probably be 35 and older? Maybe 40? But he looks older than his mother, so Stan could probably be less than 80 years old…

"Don't call me Great-Uncle Stan, alright, kid? Call me Grunkle Stan." Dipper pulled a face. "Grunkle?"

"Yeah! Like, I'm not your great-uncle, I'm just your uncle. I might look old but I got a young heart, kid." Stan patted his own chest and adjusted the fez atop his head; Mabel was staring up at him with a sparkle in her eyes – actual glitter. The glitter from her sweater had rubbed onto her face when she pulled the hem of her collar over her mouth and she was absolutely covered in it.

"Grunkle Stan, what's the Mystery Shack?" she asked, tugging at his suit sleeve in eagerness. Stan glanced down at her with a little surprise and patted her brunette hair. "The Shack is a great place for children and adults alike. Although your parents don't think so," he added, taking a glance back at Mabel's parents, who were shaking their heads in disapproval. Stan rolled his eyes and adjusted the glasses on his nose so that they caught the light above, illuminating his face in dark shadows and giving him a creepier aura. "The Mystery Shack is my pride and joy. It's not that big on the outside, but it's pretty big on the inside." Stan's olive green eyes glimmered with excitement and Dipper could see the corners of his mouth lift in an ecstatic smile.

"The Mystery Shack is a place full of wonders and a place where your imagination can run free, not to mention…the _other things._"

"What other things?"

"Oh, you'll have to see when you get to Gravity Falls, kid."

"What?" Dipper felt the thoughts in his head stop full-force, and the impact sent him into a new flood of questions. Where was Gravity Falls? Was it on some kind of map? He'd never heard of it before. Mabel stood beside him cross-legged on the floor, and she let out a prolonged "huh?" before staring up at Stan for an answer. "Oh…of course, I didn't think your parents would tell you." Stan turned around and looked at Dipper's parents; his face read something of disappointment but his eyes read something of anger. "Your parents hated Gravity Falls, every last acre of it. Even though it was the nicest town they'd been in since they were twelve, like you two."

"Stan, that town was a madhouse. No one made any sense, and the police force almost arrested us for reading a book in the library." Stan obviously ignored Dipper's mother and knelt down on one knee before the twins, extending a hand towards Mabel. "Gravity Falls isn't what you think it is, kids. It's not the nicest place ever, but it's better than spending your summer vacation here in boring California."

"But we could go find mermaids!" Mabel exclaimed, seeming outraged by the idea of leaving California for the summer. "And there are boys!" Stan raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction. "There are boys in Gravity Falls." Mabel seemed to ponder this for a moment, then she shot up and gasped. "Are there mermaid boys there?!" She seemed to tingle with energy again, and Stan sighed heavily. "Sure, yeah, if you look hard enough." Although his voice was dripping with sarcasm and poison, Mabel took his answer as sincere and shot up to hug him tightly around the neck. Stan reacted in shock and tumbled backwards onto the carpet; apparently it had been a while since anyone showed him this kind of kindness. Dipper felt the need to scoot closer to his great-uncle but he was sure it would just make the situation more uncomfortable.

"So, what do you say?" Stan asked after he finished brushing off his jacket. "Why don't you let them come home with me to Oregon?"

"Stan, we've discussed this. No."

"But Rachel, it might be good for them…" Dipper's father began, but his mother shot him a nasty glare. "I said no! No means no!" she huffed through gritted teeth. Stan stood and put each hand on one twin's head. Dipper's eyes were full of hope, but he could see his dreams crumbling down around him. This was the chance of a lifetime to finally discover some mysteries by himself and become a detective of the supernatural, but if his mother continued with this anger and resentment towards her uncle's business then he'd just be left solving those dumb mysteries in his books like always; Mabel hated those books. They were too complicated for her.

"Mom, I know you don't like Grunkle Stan for some reason or another, but don't do it for him. Do it for me and Mabel." Dipper had spoken softly – where he found the courage or the words to try persuading his mother he had no idea – but he was glad it came out. His mother's face contorted between several emotions at once – anger, fear, reluctance, sadness, grief, then finally defeat.

"Okay. You know what? Fine. You can go."


	5. Trust No One

**Chapter Five – Meeting Jesus**

"Don't forget to pack your sunblock!" Dipper's mother was rummaging through drawers to find a few miscellaneous items. "Oh, and extra pairs of underwear." Dipper's father was folding laundry. "Don't forget to bring a toothbrush." Mabel was rushing from room to room to find her sweaters and stuffed animals. "Don't take candy from strangers!"

"Be wary of wild dogs."

"Don't forget – I love you." Dipper's parents had been shouting Don't Forgets up to them as they packed their suitcases; Mabel had already filled three suitcases with sweaters and one carry-on bag with a few stuffed animals. Dipper had a hard time selecting what to put into his bag, and he stood at the foot of his bed for about thirty minutes debating if he should bring a few extra pairs of socks. There was a creaking on the stairs and before he could turn around, Dipper felt a hand on his shoulder; he jumped and let out a short yelp of fear. "Ha! Relax, kid, it's me." Stan was standing behind him with cane in hand and the other on Dipper's shoulder. "I wanted to talk to you two, but I can't find your sister." Dipper shrugged. "She's probably still organizing her underwear so she can fit more sweaters."

"She's a weirdo, that one…" Stan whistled through his teeth and sat down onto Dipper's bed. "Anyways, I got to tell you something." Stan looked as if his hip was bothering him again; Dipper took a seat next to his great-uncle and felt the bed compress. Stan didn't look all that heavy, but his bed squeaked beneath his feet. "What's up?"

"It's about your parents." Dipper swallowed and watched as Stan stood on the carpet and drew little figure-eight's into the fabric. "What about them?" Dipper asked hesitantly; his voice broke and cracked. Stan didn't laugh, but instead set his cane aside and folded his calloused hands together. "I know they said they didn't like Gravity Falls, and I know they said the shack was nasty, but I want you to know that it isn't as bad as they say. Sure, it's a small town, but it's worth the visit. There's all kinds of stuff to go see, and the founders of the town still live there. It's a heck of a town to sightsee." Stan's eyes were cast onto the wall, and Dipper felt bad for him for a moment. "Gravity Falls isn't the best town on Earth, but it's a helluva place to be. There's all kinds of things to do that you can't do in New York City or London. There's all kinds of people you'll only meet in Gravity Falls and little secrets to uncover." Stan's lips curved into a smile, and Dipper smiled. "I bet it's nice," he uttered out awkwardly; Stan sighed. "We don't get many visitors in Gravity Falls. It's not a big town." His eyes were focused on the rug beneath his feet. He seemed depressed over the fact that no one in Dipper's family seemed to even remotely remember or appreciate Gravity Falls. Dipper took a deep breath and rested a hand on his great-uncle's shoulder. "I'm interested in Gravity Falls. I want to visit." Stan froze under his touch, and he turned his head to look Dipper in the eye. "Thanks, kid. It's a nice place. I'm sure your sister would like it." As if on cue, Mabel burst into the room carrying armfuls of stuffed animals. "Dipper!" she exclaimed as she dropped them onto his floor. "I can't decide who to bring with me! They all want to come, but Mom said Stan won't have enough room for them." Her eyes were slowly filling with tears and she clung to the hem of her sweater in distress. Dipper smiled faintly at her and stood, feeling Stan's eyes on his back as he walked over to help his sister. She kept turning them over on the rug like she was inspecting them all, and she finally let out a triumphant sigh as she smiled at her little army of stuffed bears. "Thanks, Dipper," she told him as he patted her shoulder. Dipper smiled, and out of the corner of his eye he watched as Stan left the room. Curious, he followed.

"Where are you going?" Stan was standing in the middle of the hall staring hard at a photograph that was hanging on the wall. "Your mother loved Gravity Falls." Dipper took a step closer and glanced at the picture; it was of a young girl, only six or seven, holding a goat with both her arms around its neck and nuzzling its back lovingly. She had the same light brown hair Dipper had, and big green eyes shone out from underneath her badly-cut childlike bangs. "She might not act like it, but she loved Oregon." Stan turned to Dipper, and Dipper could swear he saw anger lingering in his great-uncle's hazel eyes. "Um…"

"Listen, Dipper, don't let anyone tell you what to think. Think for yourself. Leave no stone unturned." Stan rested a hand on his great-nephew's hand and looked eye-to-eye with Dipper. "I…understand?" Dipper said hesitantly, and Stan smiled. "Come on, kid. We got a lot of packing to do." Stan headed down to the living room while Dipper remained behind, staring at the piece of paper that his great-uncle had slipped into his palm. It read _TRUST NO ONE._


End file.
